Congratulations on 50 years Santa Cruz Skateboards and thank you for recognizing Judi Oyama and her dedication to skateboarding and its culture for the love and fun of it! Beyond sport, this is the soul of skateboarding.
Thank you BK. Love you! I'm super proud of you and stoked that you are the go to photographer in the media. Glad they know who is a core skater photographer.
IM A BRIT AN 60 WE USED A OLD NEATEL SAKTE AN A OLD COMIC AN BIGGEST THE BIGGEST HILL I RIDE OLD BRITISH MOTERCYCLES ITS ALL ABOUT MONEY IT SHOWS US OLD FOLK CAN STILL WHOOP THERE ARSES RESPECK FROM WALES UK
I have a friend like this in his late 50s. He just never quit being active and never had a desk job. He still rides half pipes and bowls on his bike. Last time I watched him ride, it didn't look much different than when we were kids. If you don't let your body go idle, this is what happens. He has a job and 2 kids but never quit the sport he loves.
Most of us active,positive minded senior cant quit due to brain and memory insync unaware programmed inside JOY. This programmed was buried deep inside covered by truckloads of responsibilities of life onwards journey ,to be completed, unloading itself till 60. This is the reason our JOY realeased its reserved energy from the soul ( self timer storage) for us, are given to use " the youth ON PAUSE energy" taste pure youth again but come with knowledge to assist fear in riding with JOY , fearless but with full awareness. The one incharge for this section journey belong to the Soul..cos it want to share the last joyfull ride that it never had the chance to taste ,with it's Human owner thats all...now you can see how sweet the human soul is.. Look after your soul with good beautiful programming for tomorrow JOY even in aloneness there is pleasure to be taste. I am 68 , selling ice cream with Mr. Taylor the ice cream machine(Brilliant machine ) 6 years now. We take ambush customers like a mecenary , the joy is in the hispeed working with calmness in service action and footwork of a martial art and netball captain memory of my youth. I am from Singapore where hispeed and good service is required in high human traffic business area.We are being called McDonald Aunty. I'M LOVIN IT ! PEACE
It is a litmus test. Stupid people ride skateboards. Its really that simple. A horribly inefficient mode of transportation that is dangerous to boot. Most rational GenXers recognized the skate board disaster as it is by 1980. It wasn't until the nineties that another generation was dumb enough to employ this pathetic mode of transport. Millennials are truly the dumbest generation in Human History.
You go girl!!! I'm two years older than you, and I can't skate because I'm paralyzed form the shoulders down, so you need to go two more years and skate for me! I'm rootin' for you to keep skating until you don't want to anymore, which I hope is never.
@@JudiOyama I will definitely be rooting for you! It will be great just to make it, but I'm hoping you'll go all the way to the top. Whatever the result, you're the best in my book!
As a old school BMX rider and Skater, I must say that this is what Skateboarding is about. it's not about heel flips, death flips, cock flips, it's about having fun on your skateboard and sharing those fun memories with others. This documentary is freaking awesome. God bless you Judi Oyama!
@@bigben1986 I skate mostly alone still because I go super early to the skate parks to avoid scooters and parents that allow their kids to cut everyone off. I try to teach them if they listen.
This is so inspiring and amazing!! I often feel self conscious getting ready to be 50yrs old next month often being the oldest skateboarder at my local skatepark. Asking myself what am I doing? Then its stories like this that make me realize I have to keep going. Thank you Judi Oyama! Your contribution to the sport is unquantifiable!!!
I was the oldest competitor at my last Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competition at 55. There were over 1100 competitors at the tournament. Somehow, I beat a 40 year old, but lost in the final. When I stepped off the mat, a group of about 6-8 people came up to me and told me what an inspiration I was. Still get misty eyed over that. Keep at it, bro. Cheers from Texas.
Wanted to skate so bad as a teenager in the 80s but it seemed all the guys were just insanely good, didn't know how to begin. There was no instructional youtube videos back then! Anyway finally got my first board 2 years ago at 51. I'm just a beginner and don't do tricks, but I love it and skate all the time. And I'm really lucky I meet an older skater at the pumptrack and he got me into a Whatsapp group with about 40 others my age, we go in groups so not to feel the most old LOL.
Thank you all for this! This is a prime example of the sheer treasure of history and stories you guys are now curating. Please make this a feature! There are many people watching this that have picked up skating way before youtube and multimedia, and most of us only have memories we now see materialized in front of our eyes. Thank you Judi and thanks to everybody that kept on going no matter what or where or how, just keeping skateboarding close to their hearts. I once read a closing remark on a Thrasher interview: "it doesn't matter if you can do the latest tricks, having fun is all that matters."
The same can really be said for anybody who is really trying to or actually is competing at the highest level of a specific discipline of sport. The days of skaters partying constantly and still competing consistently are done. Just like any professional sports skaters are constantly preparing both physically and mentally for the strain that theses new era skate contests put them through. Street league has made the best skaters even better. Watching these guys land trick after trick after trick is just absurd sometimes
This shit gives me alot of hope of relearning how to skate. Ive had an 18 year hiatus from skating but just got back into it, cant do any tricks YET, but still just getting re aquainted to skating. Sometimes its nice being an adult because i bought the deck ive always wanted since i was a kid playing THPS. Got the Bloody nose deck 7.5 By ZERO. Shits so fucking awsome to skate again, and this lady has definitely inspired me to start trying tricks we used to know!
I'm glad that there are other skaters who have been skateboarding all their lives into their 60's. I am 65 and mostly skated transition, ramps, halfpipes, skateparks, a few small concrete pipes and pools. But now I just like to go fast and enjoy carves
@9:14 I've never done downhill competitions, but I think anyone who has ever conquered a big hill can relate to this feeling. That rush when you're going too fast to jump off and it's literally do or die is indescribable.
I have 14 and 15 year old daughters that skate bowls. On Saturdays there are a few old school skaters at the local park in the east bay. My girls are grateful for the encouragement they get from that crew. Respect to the ones that never quit!!🤙🏻
@@FIREGURU That is another girl. I haven't skated Newark yet. I have been focusing on slalom lately and riding parks in Santa Cruz. I hope to get over there sometime. Scott Foss and a few of my friends ride there and rip it up.
@@Iwilldestroyyoo What are you zx$#? Asleep at the wheel? Clearly you've never ridden at a high level in the disciplines she's done. I've placed in slalom comp. and FS + was like her an early vert rider. My first ride was in 1970. Like to see your board control kiddo on what we used to have to ride. Let alone as clearly a world class slalom skater at 63. We didn't box things up back into 'woke' & 'unwoke' back then. We just skated.
Santa Cruz lady rides a Santa Cruz !!! Cool. I saw at a Big 5 website a lady 60 years old who rides a longboard so Ms.Oyama isn't only lady skating a board,only 60 plus that is. Several years ago when I retook skateboarding after nearly 3 decades (at age 13,stopped and retook at age 41)I've been told "aren't you too old to ride a skateboard." Didn't care plus therapist (I've autism) even would ask me if I kept/been doing it & importance of pleasure (good duh) only to find out of older then me skateboard or retaking it. I'm 47 with a collection now of boards to ride.
What an amazing story about Judi Oyama!! I love it! I hope to be able to still skateboard when I am 63. Thanks Santa Cruz for making this video! I hope to see more stories like that!
Imagine doing casually something you love, then someone would start watching, came to you, and tell you, i love what your doing, u are now sponsored. Damn dropped a tear, im happy for you
im doing 3D since my 13 years old, now Im 27 with University and 8 years of freelancing, I can keep probably only dreaming even im good as hell.. Still im happy for everyone who did find that kind of succes and freedome.
I remember you Judi. I saw you a couple times at Winchester, my home park. I was 8 years younger than you and younger than Caballero too. Glad to see you're still skating! After Winchester closed I quit skating and started surfing a couple years later.But got back into it about 5 years ago.
That's awesome. Cab was 14 years old when he started. I remember telling him don't worry you'll get good. He was ripping in 6 months and everytime a pro came through doing a new trick, he had it wired by the time they left.
She’s awesome. She had to overcome being a girl and Asian back when things are not as accepted as they are today. She kicked the door open for female skateboarders. Thank you Judi and thank you Santa Cruz for the amazing video.
Thank you! I'm lucky Santa Cruz Skateboards supported women from day one and continues 50 years later. Doug, Rich and Jay had a vision and Rich and Bob Denike have kept it going along with an awesome team of people.
From the videos I've seen since covid began, asians still have a rough go of being accepted in USA streets. Some really ugly unprovoked assaults of senior asian women. Generally by young african-americans. I hope none of those losers harassed her
I'm a 46 year old that started surfing at the age of 30. Born in New Zealand, half Polish and Japanese. I got a surf skate for "surf training" six months after I'd started surfing. After a while, the landsurfing became something else. I still can't drop in, always skate around alone but love it so much, I keep riding. The journey goes on. Thank you for your inspiration and dedication. You ride so fast too. (The car park looks real fun)
I'm 62. I can still do a handstand on a skateboard, and carve S turns while doing it. In 2019 I raced the fastest middle school student at our end of school year party. It was my final year as a middle school teacher. We raced from one soccer field goalpost to the other and back. We did the same race the previous year, and she barely beat me. That year I won. I dance at the campfire several nights each week for the past 42 years. I split and stack 8 cords of wood every year for the past 42 years. I run as fast as I can at least once a week, just because I can. When was the last time you skipped? Why did you stop? Live hard, not to struggle, but to thrive.
Fantastic story massive respect especially the era you were doing it. Raising a family to a pure inspiration to other skaters go girl! Keep enjoying it cheers Martyn.
I'm 51 and I still bust out my old Hosoi Hammerhead to make all the kids heads turn with curiosity lol. Ive mainly switched to long-boarding in my 50's but love seeing other Gen-X'ers still rip up the streets and get mega air on the verts! SK8! Judi is an inspiration and one of the pioneers of modern day skating, keep shredding!
loved it. We should see more of these people connected with Santa Cruz and the culture sharing their stories and past. For me as an 80's kid all I really know about are the Z-Boys and the Bones Brigade.
I am so thankful everyday that I ride and skateboard 4-5 days a week at 49yrs old! Nothing in my life has been more consistent and given me more smiles!
Wow! What an amazing story ! I just bought my grandson his first board for his 5th birthday recently and one for my granddaughter (8). What an inspirational woman Judi is. Best Wishes from London Uk❤️🇬🇧
I'm 63 also and this is SOOOO INSPIRING! Cycling is my sport but I aspire to belike Judi and keep pedaling faster and higher until I can't any longer. Thanks for the inspiration🙏
This has made my day! So inspirational. She talks about importance of training and keeping leg strength going. THATS the key to keeping going with any physical activity you enjoy and avoiding injury as you age. Go Judi - what an awesome woman!
Hi Judi, if you're reading this I'm glad to learn of you. I'm from the Big island of Hawaii and lived and skateboarded here all my life. I've never visited California only the Kona skatepark in Florida and alot of the Las Vegas skateparks. Again glad to know of you, you rock!! Aloha John.
Thanks John for the kind words, I skated in the islands and the weather is amazing. We snuck into Rory Russell's ramp at the Pipeline house with photographer Dan Devine. Keep skating. Aloha
I started skating in 1974 on a team in San Diego home ave. You’re inspiring and I still look at reservoirs and banks as if I could skate them! I’m 61! And was the only girl on my team but double grind at montebello skate park won me 2nd place over a ton of guys. Bahne skateboard, trackers and kryptos. Love your story my step dad is from Santa Cruz loved surfing there, lived on west side in 1981! Cheers!
You are fucking awesome man! 🤘🐸 I am 57 & still rip through the city, beaches & harbors on rollerblades. I enjoyed bombing hills during the Covid lockdown with no cars 😊. I do not know anyone my age that skates like me. It’s refreshing to see you still have the passion & skill that I also have ❤✌️ skate forever!
I met you Judi upstairs at NHS on 41st back in 1973. I was that odd skater on Roller Skates. Do you remember that year Capitol contest was canceled due to reasons and I took everyone to the Buena Vista pool that I discovered with Tom Cuthberson.
I remember the original slalom contest was canceled because the promoter forgot to show up. We sat at the top of the hill and waited. That's how Rich and Jay started doing their own events and thus the Capitola Classic started. I remember going to the pool but it's been a minute. Thanks for sharing.
This is so inspirational. I'm 60 years old, haven't skated seriously in decades but have been considering doing it again. I loved it, growing up in the San Fernando Valley in the 70s. I'm a little concerned about taking falls at my age but I guess if you have the right pads/braces/helmet it doesn't have to be that dangerous. The pads are so much better than we used to wear. Absolutely LOVE that Elvis Costello board! Where can I get one :)?
In addition to protective gears, don't forget to go with the flow, roll & deflect the force instead of absorbing it. Parachutist do as well when they land.
You are a freaking ROCK STAR!!! 😆 I’m not a skater but a swimmer. I’ll only be 54 in a week and I am inspired. I’m going to dedicate my next swim to you!! 🏊🏼♀️
What a maverick! Judi is truly a BAMF and whoever shot this did an amazing job. Round of applause for Judi and the team helping to tell her story, ya'll did a great job.
@@MrInuhanyou123 @MrInuhanyou123 Japan won 5 gold medals in first skateboarding event in Olympics. This comment prob in relate to her comment seeing japanese girls being succeslful in skateboarding in recent times.
@@MrInuhanyou123 Just to be clear I am considered a Japanese American. My parents were born in California my dad is still alive at 94 but in hospice care.
@@MrInuhanyou123 He also talks about current Japanese young skaters. Japan is definitely a skater powerhouse now. Don't know about Yuto Horigome, Ginwu Onodera and Sakura Yosozumi? Americans are funny If you gain fame, you are considered American, but if you lose, you are considered Japanese or Asian. Who did not recognize her parents as American and put them in a internment camp? Americans are really obsessed with nationality and race. by the way, you seem like an otaku who likes Japanese anime lol
